Since Chinese disatrous defeats in the Opium War, Qing Dynasty became more corrupt and weaker than ever, and there was widespread misery and poverty among the common people. In 1843, inspired by the ideas of Christianity, a young man named Hong Xiuquan from Guangdong province set up a religious organization called the God Worship Society, which advocated human equality and called for overthrow of the rulers of Qing Dynasty. This organization quickly attracted many adherents, the number of which amounted to over 10,000 in 1849. On January 11th, 1851, Hong Xiuquan's 38th birthday, he initiated a farmer uprising in Jintian Village, Guiping county, in the present-day Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and declared the establishment of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Taiping army fought bravely and won a great number of battles against Qing army while growing from an army of 20,000 soldiers to that of several hundred thousands. In March 1853, Taipings occupied Nanjing. Hong Xiuquan made the city their capital and changed its name to Tianjing (meaning "heavenly capital"). Taiping Heavenly Kingdom promulgated the System of Land Ownership of the Heavenly Kingdom, aiming to achieve an ideal society here on earth, where all people would share land, food, clothing and money, and where there would be no trace of iniquity, hunger and shabbiness.

Taiping army, winning victories everywhere, marched northward and westward to secure and expand its domain around the capital of Tianjing.

In September 1856, when Taiping Movement was developing vigorously, power struggles took place among the leaders. This was verely weakened Taiping leadership. Qing government took this opportunity to organize a full-fledged counterattach. Taiping armys most powerful enemy was Xiang army (nickname of Hunan province) organized and led by Zeng Guofan. Foreign aggressors even organized "Firearms Brigades to help Qing government suppress Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. In order to turn the tide, Hong Xiuquan nominated a group of young generals, i.e. Chen Yucheng and Li Xiuchen, who did not achieve something, but not enough to change the destiny of Heavenly Kingdom. In late 1863, Xiang army besieged Tianjing. On June 3rd, 1864, Hong Xiuquan died of illness, and in July Tianjing was captured by Xiang army. Under the strangling of the united reactionary forces at home and aboard, after 14 years, the farmer uprising of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was finally quashed.